SpectraCell Blog

When people think of autism and nutrition, the first thing that comes to mind is often food sensitivities, especially given the widespread attention to the impact of certain additives and common triggers (such as wheat or dairy) on that condition. But it is worth considering that micronutrient levels can have a profound impact on autistic symptoms. The list below includes specific micronutrients suggested to have a role in the development and treatment of autism:

Vitamin A: One cause of autism may be a defect in a retinoid receptor protein (G-alpha protein) that is critical for language processing, attention, and sensory perception. Evidence suggests that natural vitamin A fixes this protein defect in autistics.

Folate: Oral folate therapy can resolve symptoms of autism in some cases, particularly in autistics with genes that impair folate-dependent enzymes.

Glutamine: Blood levels of this amino acid - which acts as a neurotransmitter - are particularly low in autistics. Glutamine also helps prevent leaky gut syndrome, which can exacerbate autistic symptoms.

Vitamin C: Improves symptom severity and sensory motor scores in autistic patients possibly due to interaction with dopamine synthesis; it also has a strong sparing effect on glutathione.

Glutathione & Cysteine: Both are commonly deficient in autistic patients. Low antioxidant status impairs detoxification and methylation processes, and has been linked to neurological symptoms in autism, which is often considered an oxidative stress disorder.

Vitamin B6: Cofactor for the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine; conversion of B6 to its active form is compromised in many autistics. Supplementation trials with B6 resulted in better eye contact, improved speech, and fewer self-stimulatory behavior in autistics. Some consider B6 in combination with magnesium to be a breakthrough treatment for autism.

Magnesium: Cofactor for the neurotransmitters that affect social reactions and emotion; autistics have low levels. Magnesium improves the effectiveness of B6 therapy.

Zinc: Eliminates mercury from brain tissue. The zinc/ copper ratio is particularly low in autistic kids, and low zinc impairs metallothionein, a protein that removes heavy metals from the body.

Carnitine: Transports fatty acids into cells. Low carnitine status, a common feature of autism, impairs the ability to use fatty acids for learning and social development.

For a copy of SpectraCell's Nutrition Correlation chart on autism, click here.

In case you hadn’t already heard, daylight saving time is almost upon us (effective local time 2:00 a.m. Sunday, March 12th). If you, like many others, notice that your circadian rhythm becomes disrupted during this yearly occurrence, and find that it takes you a few days or even weeks to adjust, you may want to take time now to plan ahead.

Natural light affects the daily timing of physiological processes, and micronutrients in turn have an effect on our circadian (circa = around, dian = day) rhythms (AKA “body clock” or the sleep/wake cycle) in several ways. In fact, the process of re-adjusting to a new circadian rhythm (“entrainment”) – as in the case of jet lag, shift work, or daylight saving – may be facilitated by vitamin B12, or exacerbated by B12 deficiency. The therapeutic benefits of vitamin B12 have been observed in persons suffering from insomnia, normalizing their sleep-wake cycles. Minerals also play a role: magnesium can impact human circadian rhythms by mimicking the action of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. This might be the explanation behind magnesium’s link to better sleep. Other micronutrients, especially B vitamins such as folate, niacin, and vitamin B6, are cofactors in the production of serotonin, dopamine, and tryptophan, neurotransmitters that have a role in regulating sleep patterns.

Vitamin B12 also known as Cobalamin is a water soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. Vitamin B12 is one of the eight B vitamins. A series of closely related compounds known collectively as cobalamins or vitamin B12 are converted into active forms methylcobalamin or 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin.

Deficiency symptoms of vitamin B12:

Deficiency symptoms of vitamin B12 are both hematological (pernicious anemia) and neurological. A megaloblastic anemia may occur because the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency on folate metabolism. Below are examples of clinical signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency:

shortness of breath

fatigue

weakness

irritability

sore tongue

decrease in blood cell counts (red, white and platelets)

Neurological symptoms are manifested as a progressive neuropathy, with loss of position sense and ataxia. If vitamin B12 repletion is not initiated, permanent neurological damage, including degeneration of nerves and spinal cord can develop. Evidence suggests that mental symptoms of depression and fatigue are detectable before anemia develops. Vitamin B12 is necessary to prevent accumulation of homocysteine, a toxic metabolic byproduct linked to cardiovascular disease and connective tissue abnormalities. Hypochlorhydira and gastrointestinal disturbances are frequently associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Repletion Information:

Dietary sources for cobalamins are strictly from animal foodstuffs. Vitamin B12 is not found in plant foodstuffs. Dietary supplements can also contain vitamin B12. Since the absorption and intracellular activation of oral vitamin B12 are frequently difficult, consideration should be given to injectable forms of vitamin B12.

When a person takes prescription drugs or over the counter medication chances are that they can be affecting their nutrient levels. Below are some of the possible deficiencies that are correlated with each corresponding drug.

Antibiotics

B vitamins, Vitamin K - short term depletion affects are minimal, but failure to re-inoculate the GI tract with beneficial bacteria (probiotics) often results in dysbiosis which causes gas, bloating, decreases digestion & absorption of nutrients, and also may lead to a variety of other health problems.

Selenium - Deficiency implicated in miscarriage and infertility; In one trial, 100% of infertile women achieved pregnancy after supplemenation.

Glutathione - Protects eggs (fertilized or not) from damage by reactive oxygen species; Protective action of follicle stimulating hormone on embryonic development is due largely to glutathione synthesis.

Cysteine - N-acetyl cysteine can improve ovulation and pregnancy rates in women with infertility due to PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) that do not respond to fertility drugs; Improves viability of endometrial cells in vitro; Precurso to glutathione.

Antioxidant Status - Reproductive cells, including embryos, are very susceptible to damage from oxidative stress due to the rapid rate of growth; Low antioxidant status can cause infertility or miscarriage.

Minerals - Several enzymes needed to protect a woman's reproductive organs (such as superoxide dismutase) are dependent on the trace elements, zinc, copper and magnesium.

A group of researchers in Europe proposed a new theory on how vitamins work in the body, displacing the former accepted view that vitamin molecules work directly on cells in the body. Their research, which used radiation and electron pulse technology, led them to conclude that antioxidant vitamins emit dissolved electrons that quench free radicals. They concluded that the well-known vitamin effects are attributed to “vitamin free radicals rather than the vitamin molecules per se, as generally accepted.”(Nutrition, January 2013)

Link to Abstract Vitamin-induced intracellular electrons are the mechanism for their well-known beneficial effects: A review.

Treatment resistant depression responds to folate therapy

Two randomized, double-blind trials were conducted in which depression patients who had a partial or no response to a SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) were given l-methylfolate for 60 days. In the first trial, the dosage of folate was 7.5mg/day for 30 days, then 15mg/day for 30 days. In the second trial, the dosage of folate was 15mg/day for 60 days. Patients in the second trial showed significantly greater efficacy of SSRI drugs (lower depression scores and significantly decreased symptom severity) compared to the first trial (where the dosage of folate was lower) and compared to placebo. (American Journal of Psychiatry, December 2012)

Blood levels of the antioxidant (specifically, vitamins A, C and E) were measured in eighty patients of a psychiatric hospital that were diagnosed with stress-induced generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Supplements of each vitamin were given for six weeks and blood levels of each vitamin were measured again. After six weeks, blood levels of vitamin A and C had increased and there was a “significant reduction in anxiety and depression scores of patients.”(Indian Journal of Psychiatry, July2012)

Both progesterone and vitamin D have demonstrated neuroprotective effects on the brain after a traumatic injury in past studies, so a group of researchers sought to evaluate the effect of combining them. This randomized clinical trial compared progesterone treatment alone and combined with vitamin D to a placebo group and found that the “recovery rate of patients with severe brain trauma in the group receiving progesterone and vitamin D together was significantly higher than that of progesterone [only] group, which was in turn higher than that of placebo group.”(Advanced Biomedical Research, 2012)

LINK to ABSTRACT Comparison of the administration of progesterone versus progesterone and vitamin D in improvement of outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury: A randomized clinical trial with placebo group.

Vitamin C help patients recover from hearing loss

72 patients with sudden hearing loss of unknown cause participated in this study. 36 patients served as a control group that received steroid treatment for 15 days and 36 patients received the same steroid treatment plus high dose vitamin C intravenously daily for 10 days. Auditory evaluations were administered and the recovery rate of the group receiving vitamin C was more than twice that of the control group. (European Archives of Oto-rhino-laryngology, December 2012)

Serine is a crucial amino acid needed to form proper synapses in the brain. It acts as a neurotransmitter and regulates NMDA(N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the brain, which regulate mood and sleep, explaining its role in psychiatric and neurological disease. A recent study showed that serine supplementation could reverse oxidative stress-induced deficits in cognitive function.(Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metbolic Care, January 2013), (Aging Cell, April 2012), (Journal of Biological Chemistry, June 2012), (Biochemical Journal, 2003)

Is carnitine the answer for male infertility?A group of men (n=96) who had been diagnosed as infertile for at least 18 months were given the following nutritional formulation daily for four months: L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, fructose, citric acid, selenium, coenzyme Q10, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B12 and folic acid (see abstract for exact dosages). At the end of the study, sperm motility improved and 16 of the patients had achieved pregnancy. The authors concluded that carnitine may be the key component of the supplement cocktail for improving sperm quality. (Italian Archives of Urology and Andrology, September 2012)

LINK to ABSTRACT Prospective open-label study on the efficacy and tolerability of a combination of nutritional supplements in primary infertile patients with idiopathic astenoteratozoospermia.

Vitamin D helps leg ulcers healIn this double-blind, placebo controlled trial, 26 patients with leg ulcers were given either placebo or 50,000 IU vitamin D weekly for two months. Leg ulcer size, blood levels of vitamin D and pain was measured before and after the two month trial. In the vitamin D group, leg ulcers were reduced in size by 28% while the placebo group had only a 9% reduction in ulcer size. The authors stated “there was a trend toward better healing in those with vitamin D reposition.” (Journal of Brazilian College of Surgeons, October 2012)

Complexity of methylation reactions gains insightThis review emphasizes how methyl donor nutrients such as choline, folic acid and methionine interact and how consumption (via supplement or food) of one can have sparing effect s on another – such as choline’s sparing effect on methionine, for example. (Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, January 2013)

New study says multivitamins just don’t cut it when it comes to preventing heart disease

In the landmark Physician’s Health Study II, authors concluded that taking a multivitamin for over a decade did nothing to prevent cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or stroke. The study monitored 14,641 male doctors for over eleven years who took either a daily multivitamin or placebo and no differences in cardiovascular events or mortality was found between the two groups. Since evidence linking deficiencies to heart disease is strong (see vitamin D study below on 45,000 patients), some conclude that a multivitamin is simply not effective in correcting deficiencies and that targeted supplementation for the individual is a better approach. (Journal of the American Medical Association, November 2012)(American Journal of Cardiology, October 2010)

Link to ABSTRACTMultivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial.

Link to ABSTRACTRelation of vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular risk factors, disease status, and incident events in a general healthcare population.

Vitamin C reduces fatigue and perception of effort after exercise

In this interesting study on twenty obese adults, each were given either 500 mg of vitamin C or placebo daily for four weeks. Their diet was strictly controlled for vitamin C content and their heart rates and fatigue scores as well as subjective perceptions of exertion were measured after exercise. Those taking vitamin C had lower fatigue scores and those on placebo had higher fatigue scores. Heart rates and “ratings of perceived exertion” were also improved in the vitamin C group. (Nutrition, January 2013)

Link to ABSTRACTVitamin C status and perception of effort during exercise in obese adults adhering to a calorie-reduced diet.

For more articles and information, click here for the complete library on clinical updates.

CLINICAL UPDATE – Nutritional status of mom has major implications for baby

Three recent studies emphasize the fallacy of the paradigm “baby gets what he needs at the expense of the mother.” In one study done in the Netherlands, researchers evaluated over 3200 mothers for blood folate levels and their children at three years of age for behavioural and emotional problems. Although the implications of low folate status of the mother on neurological development is well established, this study reported that low folate status of the mother is linked with a “higher risk of emotional problems in the offspring.” An unrelated study in India found a similar result with vitamin B12 and heart function. Cord blood of mothers was compared to the cardiac function of their babies. “Children born to mothers with a lower vitamin B12 status have a reduced cardiac sympathetic activity.” Finally, a review of studies done between 1999 and 2011 concluded that vitamin D deficiency of mom is linked to gestational diabetes. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2012),(Maternal and Child Nutrition, May 2012),(Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, May 2012)

Link to Abstract Maternal folate status in early pregnancy and child emotional and behavioral problems: the Generation R Study.

Link to AbstractLow maternal vitamin B12 status during pregnancy is associated with reduced heart rate variability indices in young children.

Link to AbstractMaternal vitamin d status as a critical determinant in gestational diabetes.

CLINICAL UPDATE - E Zinc deficiency common in diabetics

Serum and intracellular levels were measured in 75 type I and II diabetics and compared to 75 age matched controls. Zinc levels were significantly lower in diabetic patients. Authors of the study reported that in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that zinc promotes insulin signalling and supplementation may be a potential treatment in zinc-deficient diabetics. (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, November 2012)

Link to AbstractDisturbed zinc homeostasis in diabetic patients by in vitro and in vivo analysis of insulinomimetic activity of zinc.

In this randomized clinical trial on 33 autistic children ages three to ten years old, a dose of 900mg N-acetylcysteine was given twice daily for 12 weeks. At each 4 week interval, a standardized test was given to measure irritability and behaviour on each child. After three months, those receiving the high-dose N-acetylcysteine had significant improvements on their irritability compared to the placebo group. (Biological Psychiatry, June 2012)

Link to AbstractA randomized controlled pilot trial of oral N-acetylcysteine in children with autism.

CLINICAL UPDATE – Vitamin D trial shows it can reduce body fat

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 77 people were given either 25mμg of vitamin D or placebo for 12 weeks. Researchers concluded that “supplementation with vitamin D3 caused a statistically significant decrease in body fat mass.” Specifically, the vitamin D group lost six pounds while the placebo group lost an average of only one pound. (Nutrition Journal, May 2012)

Dietary intake of phylloquinone (a form of vitamin K) was assessed in over a thousand men and women. Those with increased intake of vitamin K hahave lower rates of diabetes. As a follow up to the study, the people who increased their dietary vitamin K during the follow-up had 51% reduced risk of diabetes. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2012)

Link to AbstractDietary phylloquinone intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in elderly subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

CLINICAL UPDATE – Vitamin E kills cancer cells

The alpha, delta and gamma tocotrienol forms of vitamin E were evaluated on leukemic cancer cells. The delta tocotrienol form of vitamin E, which was the most potent in killing cancer cells, changed the DNA of the cancerous cells in such a way that it induced the cancerous cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death). (Microscopy and Microanalysis, June 2012)